Clasp



April 26, 1938. J. B. FREYSINGER CLASP Filed Sept. 2, 1936 JOHN 5EQEYJ/N ER Patented Apr. 26, 1938 I UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFlCE toNorth and Judd ManufacturingCompany, New Britain, Conn, a corporation ofConnecticut Application September 2, 1936, Serial No. 99,101

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved type of clasp and has particularapplication in adjustably and removably securing a flexible curtainacross a portion of a travelling case to provide a separate storagecompartment therein.

Heretofore, in the packing of delicate Wearing apparel which tends tobecome easily jammed and creased, it has been common practice tocarefully fold the apparel and secure it within the cover of atravelling case, such as a suitcase, by means of a flexible curtainsecured at one side within the cover and removably secured in stretchedposition across the apparel by means of a clasp hook engageable with theother side of the cover. It is well-recognized that if ourtains of thistype are stretched too tightly, the apparelengaged thereby becomesjammed, and it is difficult to engage and disengage thehook. On theother hand, when these curtains are relatively loosely secured inposition, they tend to become easily detached and upset the packedarticles. Furthermore, previous types of clasps employed for thisgeneral purpose have usually proved difficult to operate in a tightlypacked travelling case.

It is, therefore, the aim of my invention to provide a clasp which maybe easily and remov- .ab1y engaged, will not, of itself, tend to becomedetached, and which is particularly adaptable to removably andadjustably secure a curtain across a portion of a travelling case toprovide a convenient compartment therein.

his a further object of my invention to provide a two-part interlockingclasp which is simple in construction, easy to operate, and inexpensiveto manufacture.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide a two-partclasp, the parts of which normally tendrtocam intointerlockedengagement..

With these and other objects in view, my invention accordingly consistsin the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangementof parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter setforth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in theappended claims.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals indicate like parts:

'Figure l is a perspective view of a travelling case illustrating oneapplication of 'my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my clasp in attached position; 7

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in longitudinal section taken along line 33of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the two parts of the claspdetached from each other.

In accordance with-my invention, I have provided a two-part separableclasp having a frame member A pivotally mounted at one end to one wallof the cover C of a travelling case T,and a movable frame member Badapted to interlock with member A. A pair of cooperating lugs on memberA tend to maintain it projecting generally at right angles to the wallof the cover and prevent it from folding rearwardly and inwardly againstthe cover to an inaccessible position. Movable member B adjustablyreceives a strap or tape extending from one edge of a curtain D securedat its opposite edge to the case and interengages member A in suchmanner that it tends to fulcrum into interlocked position and normallyremains in said position. 7

Referring to the drawing illustrating one em-' bodiment of my invention,member A, which may be integrally formed by casting, forging, or other-C and substantially opposite to the hinged por tion of the cover bymeans of a strap loop l5.

passingaround an intermediate portion of the 7 cross bar l2 and havingoverlying ends 15' suitably secured to the cover as by rivets l1. Strapl5 may be composed of either metal or fabric, as desired, and, in thepresent showing, I locate a reinforcing plate ll between the heads ofthe rivets and the strap to prevent the rivet heads from cutting intothe strap and to reinforce the strap.

Heretofore, when clasp members have been pivotally mounted in atravelling case, they have been free to swing rearwardly and inwardlyagainst a wall of the travelling case during packing and have thustended to become covered up by the packed articles. To overcome thisinherent difiiculty of prior constructions, I have provided a pair oflugs l8 respectively extending laterally from the upper ends of thecross bar l2 and substantially at right angles to side bars l0 and l l,as best shown in Fig. 4. These lugs position substantially at rightangles to such.

wall, where member A may be easily engaged and arms l3 and upwardextension l3 in spaced relation to members I and H andintercondisengaged by member B as will be later described. It will benoted, however, that member A is free to swing outwardly and forwardlyin a counterclockwise direction, with reference to Fig. 3, and to theposition A wherein it will 7 not interfere with the packing of articlesin the case.

As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, cross bar I3 is generally stepped inform at each end to aid in removably receiving member B. The lower endsof side bars l0 and l I each terminate in an upwardly projecting,somewhat U-shaped formation having aligned, inwardly projecting shortnected at their upper ends by a transverse intermediate portion 13a. inthe form of an elongated'lug which preferably extends rearwardly in thesame direction as lugs l8 and has a substantially top flatlface I31). Inthe illustrated form of my'invention, it will be appreciated that allportions of member'A lie substantially in the same plane, with theexception of the laterally and rearwardly extending portions of lugs I3aand 18 which maybe generally parallel and are located on the same sideof member A. s

- Member B, which is arranged to detachably interlock with member A, maybeformed in a similar manner to member A .as by casting, forging, orother suitable means, and is provided with a pair of opposed side arms20 and 2| interconnected by transversely extending bars 22, 23, and

.24'which may be substantially, parallel.- A loop portion, generallyindicated at 26, and adapted to interlock with the stepped cross bar I3,is

provided with a pair of hooked arms 21 and 28 extending upwardly andgenerally rearwardly from bar 22 adjacent the ends of the bar, and theupper ends of these arms are interconnectedby a transverse bar 38,-thusforming an aperture 26 adapted to receive intermediate portion. |3a ofand 28 respectively engage against members [3 crossbar 13.

of member A, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

In interlocking the partsA and B of my member B between bars I3 and M ofmember A to the position [30 indicated in Fig. 3, and then movemember Bdownwardly so that bar. 13.

passes through aperture 26', and hook arms 2'! It'will-be noted that atthis time the. hook arms tend to'fulcrum on bars 13?, thus locating bar39 beneath the rearwardly extending portion of lug [3a and againstmembers I3" (Fig. 3), so that bar 30 is normally urged into a lockedposition,

with a camming action, thus preventing any tendency of the clasp tobecome detached. In

the event that the tension of. curtain D makes it difficult to stretchmembers A, D, [5 and 32 to a closed position, bar 30 may be firstengaged on face I31) and thereafter slidably moved rearwardly B may belifted upwardly and outwardly from engagement with member A.

A suitably shaped downwardly depending tongue 3! is providedintermediate of the ends of bar 24 to form a convenient handle wherebyArms 26 and 21 are spaced apart so as to be received within the ushaped' portions clasp, it is-simply necessary to insert cross bar 30 ofmember B may be easily manipulated into engaged and disengaged position.In the present instance, tongue 35 is bent outwardly to provide aconvenient gripping portion, but it will be appreciated that any type ofhandle may be pro vided to accomplish this purpose.

i As is usual in providing a strap adjustment on a buckle or othersimilar member, the intermediate bar 23 is out of planar relation withbars 22 and 24 so that a flexible strap 32, securedto' the end of acurtain by suitable means such as a rivet 33, may pass under bar 24,over bar 23, under bar 22, and thence back in looped overlappingrelation above bar 23 and beneath bar 24. When no tension is exerted,the loops .of the strap passing above and beneath the respective barsmay be slidably positioned to properly locate member B relative tocurtain D. However, it will be evident that the friction of theoverlapped portions of the strap will tend to normally maintain member Bin a preadjusted position. As many changes could be made in the aboveconstruction and many apparently widely different embodiments of thisinvention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it isintended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not inalirniting sense. I I

It is also to be understood that. the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover,

all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed and..all statements of the scope of the invention whichQas amatter" of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my inventionp' V 1. A clasp comprising, in combination, twomembers adapted to detachably interlock, one of said members having atransversely extending cross bar andspaced side bars, stepped portionsrespectively connecting the ends of said cross bar to the ends of theside bars, a looped end on the other of said members adapted to fit overand detachably interlock with said cross bar, and.

means on said cross bar tending to normally mainftain said members ininterlocked engagement;

2. A clasp. comprising, inv combination, two.

members, one of said'members having a cross bar extending betweenspaced'side barsstepped portions integral with andrespectivelyconnecting an intermediate portion of the cross bar withsaid side bars,a looped end on the other of said members and having a transverselyextending bar,

said looped portion being adapted to fit over the.

intermediate portion of the cross bar, and. a. laterally projecting lugon said intermediate .por-

tion whereby the transverse bar will be engaged beneath said lug andsaid members will be maintained together in interlocked relation.

3. A clasp comprising, in combination, two

bars by substantially U-shaped portions, alug V laterally extending fromthe intermediate por-' tion, said other member having a pair ofsubstantially hook shaped side arms interconnected at their respectiveouter ends by a transverse bar and forming alooped portion adapted tofit over said intermediate portion of the cross bar, the side armsentering into fulcrumed engagement with said U-shaped portions andpivotally urging the-transverse bar at the end of the loop'beneath' saidlug whereby the two members are in interlocked engagement.

4. A clasp adapted to removably and adjustably secure a curtain across atravelling case and comprising two interengaging detachable members,means pivotally securing one of said members to a wall of the travellingcase, means normally tending to maintain said member projecting fromsaid well of the case, said other member adjustably receiving a strapsecured to the curtain, and means detachably securing said memberstogether in such manner that they will not tend to become detached undernormal usage.

5. A clasp adapted to removably and adjustably secure a curtain across atravelling case, comprising two detachable interlocking members,

one member having transversely extending cross bars, means pivotallysecuring one of said cross bars to a wall of the travelling case, arearwardly extending positioning lug on the pivoted cross bar adapted toengage said Wall when said memher is substantially at right angles. tothe Wall, a rearwardly extending locking lug on another of the crossbars, said other member having a plurality of spaced bars adapted toadjustably receive a tension strap secured to the curtain, and having aloop adapted to pass over said rearwardly extending locking lug andinterlock beneath same, said positioning lugs maintaining said firstmember and locking lug in a fixed position as said second member ismoved into interlocking position.

JOHN B. FRE'YSINGER.

